State Medicaid Waiver Directory
Find your state's Katie Beckett waiver, TEFRA pathway, HCBS programs, and Medicaid eligibility rules for children and adults with disabilities. Each guide covers waitlists, application steps, income limits, and parent caregiver pay options.
For informational purposes only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Medicaid rules, eligibility, and waitlists change frequently. Always verify with your state's official Medicaid agency before making decisions. Cross-check with Medicaid.gov's official waiver page.
Louisiana
Program Overview
Overview
Louisiana has a TEFRA-like Children's Medicaid Option plus 1915(c) waivers including the Children's Choice Waiver (ages 0-20), New Opportunities (NOW), and Residential Options waivers for developmental disabilities.
Katie Beckett or similar pathway
Louisiana offers a TEFRA-like Children's Medicaid Option for children ages 0-18 with any type of disability who would otherwise need institutional care. Only the child's income is counted and there is no waiting list. Apply through Louisiana Medicaid (Act 421).
Child-relevant waivers
The Children's Choice Waiver is the most directly child-focused. The NOW Waiver serves individuals with developmental disabilities of various ages.
Eligibility
Who qualifies
The Children's Medicaid Option (TEFRA-like) serves children ages 0-18 who would otherwise need hospital, nursing-facility, or ICF-level care. The Children's Choice Waiver serves children with developmental disabilities ages 0-20.
Financial and income rules
The Children's Medicaid Option and Children's Choice Waiver count only the child's income, not the parents'.
Level of care
Nursing-facility level of care is required for the Children's Choice Waiver.
Age rules
Children's Choice serves children up to age 21. NOW Waiver has different age parameters.
Getting Started
How to apply
Contact Louisiana Medicaid or the Louisiana Department of Health for Children's Choice Waiver and NOW Waiver applications.
Documents needed
Medical records, physician statements, level-of-care documentation, and Medicaid financial information are needed.
Waitlist information
The Children's Medicaid Option has no waiting list. The NOW waiver has significant waitlists — about 14,500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are waiting statewide.
Practical next step
Contact Louisiana Department of Health and ask about Children's Choice Waiver intake and NOW Waiver registration. For non-Medicaid supports, contact LRS, LATAN, or your regional Families Helping Families center.
Services & Support
Services available
Children's Choice can cover private duty nursing, home health aide, personal care, respite, and therapies. NOW can cover residential supports, day programs, and community integration.
Parent caregiver pay
Parents and guardians may be paid for care in the New Opportunities (NOW), Children's Choice, and adult developmental disability waivers, up to 40 hours per week, though the caregiver cannot also serve as the participant's representative or employer of record. Louisiana's Monitored In-Home Caregiving Program also provides a per diem payment to a caregiver who lives in the home.
Equipment exchange & assistive technology
Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN — latan.org) — free device demonstrations, short-term loans, a Reuse and Exchange marketplace, and low-interest AT financing. Sliding fee scale for low-income families. Services available statewide.
Mental health and Medicaid coverage
Louisiana Medicaid covers behavioral health services through Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs). Covered services include outpatient therapy, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, crisis stabilization, and community support services. The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) within LDH oversees the public behavioral health system. Louisiana has a Statewide Management Organization (SMO) that manages behavioral health benefits for Medicaid recipients. Children can access mental health services through the EPSDT benefit and the children's behavioral health system.
Additional notes
Families should ask about both the Children's Choice Waiver for medically complex children and the NOW Waiver for developmental disability services, as these serve different needs and have different application processes.
State-Specific Resources
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) — Vocational Rehabilitation
LRS (laworks.net/workforcedev/lrs) helps Louisianians with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep competitive integrated employment. Services include vocational evaluation, career counseling, job training, assistive technology, supported employment, and job placement. Services are free and available statewide. LRS also serves transition-age youth (ages 14+) before leaving high school. Call your nearest LRS office or visit laworks.net to get started.
LATAN — Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network
LATAN (latan.org) is Louisiana's statewide assistive technology nonprofit, serving people of all ages with functional limitations or disabilities. Services include free AT device demonstrations, short-term device loans through the Device Loan Program, a Reuse and Exchange marketplace for donated equipment, low-interest financial loans to purchase AT, and AT financial lease options. LATAN also accepts Healthy Blue, LA Healthcare Connections, AmeriHealth, Medicare, and private pay, with a sliding fee scale for low-income families. AT Lab & Demo Center: 10988 N Harrells Ferry Rd., Suite 5, Baton Rouge, LA 70816. Phone available on their website. Services available statewide.
Families Helping Families — Statewide Regional Resource Centers
Families Helping Families (laddc.org/what-were-working-on/families-helping-families) is a statewide network of nine family-directed, family-staffed regional resource centers across Louisiana. They provide free information on disability services, assistive technology, community activities, and help families understand rights and how to self-advocate — from someone who has 'been there.' Centers cover every region of the state including Greater New Orleans (504-888-9111), Baton Rouge (225-216-7474), Acadiana (337-984-3458), Southwest LA (337-436-2570), Northeast LA (318-361-0487), and others. No income requirement.
Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center (La PTI) — Special Education Advocacy
Louisiana's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, operated through Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans, provides free training, information, and one-on-one support to families of children with disabilities ages birth to 26. Services include help navigating special education, understanding IEPs and 504 plans, transition planning, and advocating within the school system. Phone: 504-888-9111 · Toll-free: 1-800-766-7736.
Louisiana Early Steps — Early Intervention Birth to Age 3
Louisiana Early Steps (ldh.la.gov/page/early-steps) provides free early intervention services to families with children birth to age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. Services are delivered in homes and natural environments and are individualized to each child and family. Referrals can be made by anyone — parents, doctors, or child care providers. Contact your local Early Steps program through the Louisiana Department of Health.
Disability Rights Louisiana — Legal Advocacy & P&A
Disability Rights Louisiana (disabilityrightsla.org) is the state's federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency. It provides free legal services, advocacy, and information on disability rights, education rights, employment issues, Medicaid access, abuse and neglect, and assistive technology access for people with disabilities of all ages. Phone: (504) 522-2337 · Toll-free: 1-800-960-7705.
Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council (LADDC) — Advocacy & Resources
The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council (laddc.org) promotes self-determination, independence, and community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. LADDC funds advocacy projects, produces resources, and provides information and referrals statewide. Their website is a good starting point for non-Medicaid disability resources across Louisiana.
Louisiana — No State Paid Family Leave
Louisiana does not currently have a state-mandated paid family leave or temporary disability insurance program. Workers must rely on federal FMLA (unpaid, up to 12 weeks) or employer-provided benefits. Some employers may offer voluntary Short-Term Disability insurance or private paid leave plans.
Sources
Recent news for Louisiana
Louisiana Department of Health · October 1, 2026 · Medicaid & Waivers
The Louisiana Department of Health has updated regulations for home and community-based services waivers for individuals with developmental disabilities. These updates pertain to specific sections of the state's administrative code.
Community Tips & Experience
Comments reflect the personal experiences and opinions of individual community members only. They do not represent the views, positions, or endorsements of National Disability Resource Project or any of its staff, volunteers, or affiliated members. Always verify information with official agencies and qualified professionals before making decisions.
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